just had a electrician do a electrical check on a proberty of mine,, due to it being a rented proberty,, Ive been told that because the fuse box is repairable type and its location is out side,, by outside i mean in a brick built specifically constructed bin cupboard, built when new 20 years ago.,, any suggestions what to go for to bring it up to current standards there's 4 or 5 fuses and unlikely to need more
out side fuse box
- Thread starter 7777777
- Start date
Well if the bin cupboard has a roof & door & isnt damp then why change the consumer unit ?
If it doesnt contain any rcd/rcbo's then it might be advisable to upgrade, but again no reason a standard dual rcd consumer unit couldnt be used.
If it doesnt contain any rcd/rcbo's then it might be advisable to upgrade, but again no reason a standard dual rcd consumer unit couldnt be used.
Your post isn't very clear. I assume you are suggesting that the electrician has suggested a new board, moved to a better access location inside the property.
If the existing circuit cables are service ok then these could be pulled back and fitted to a new board inside the house, but local to the access point between property and current meter / mains head location.
For a small installation RCBO's for each circuit, new CU case, isolation switch, tails and earth, no work on any existing circuits other than a tested ok and your looking at a days work plus full test.
Materials (if RCBO's used) about £225-£250 and labour. Add more if the earth bonding of water and gas service required.
Please note figures are very ball park and the only way to firm them up is for you to spec the work and get 3 quotes.
If the existing circuit cables are service ok then these could be pulled back and fitted to a new board inside the house, but local to the access point between property and current meter / mains head location.
For a small installation RCBO's for each circuit, new CU case, isolation switch, tails and earth, no work on any existing circuits other than a tested ok and your looking at a days work plus full test.
Materials (if RCBO's used) about £225-£250 and labour. Add more if the earth bonding of water and gas service required.
Please note figures are very ball park and the only way to firm them up is for you to spec the work and get 3 quotes.
I think you probably mean rewirable.7777777 said:
What did the electrician suggest? There is no legal requirement to bring the existing set up up to current regulations but there are safety benefits in doing this.
I would think the CU being outside is not ideal as in the result of a blown fuse/tripped MCB etc you don't really want to be going outside to replace/switch it back on, although it might not be that uncommon! It must have the correct level of ingress protection for its environment inside or out.
If a new CU is to be moved indoors then this would mean extending the cables for the exisiting circuits to the new location. You may have a problem with the location of your service head and meter also, if it is some distance from a new CU location - I assume the service head is outside in the enclosure too? This would have to be moved by the DNO and would usually cost ££££ to relocate but it may be possible to use a switchfuse with extended tails to a new location.
Need more info really!
rented places aren't meant to have fuses, unless the fuse cover is screwed on.
Our place is rented and has rewirables...
Mind you it also has the most shonky wiring to the garage that i've been waiting 2 months for them to fix!
Mind you it also has the most shonky wiring to the garage that i've been waiting 2 months for them to fix!
sorry repairable should read rewirable fuse type, to make it a bit clearer the council offered to do a electrical check on my property f.o.c they also did the land lord gas check f.o.c that passed ,, however the electrician told me that the fuse board would fail his safety check,,, as it was a new requirement to not have rewire able consumer units outside the proberty??? the proberty was built with the consumer unit in the outside bin store approx 20 years ago and as far as i can see threes around 50 other properties the same,, but as yet Ive not checked any to see,, at a guss half or more are owned by the council,,, the last electrical check was by the council 2002 when every thing was tested ok the flat was my parents who were in there 80s so little was done to any thing,,, im now feeling confused,, is the electrician correct????
missed out he said it would have to be changed for a rcd??? type be for he could pass it
Total rollocks. What requirement is that, from who? Tell us the regulation that says that. AFAIK it doesn't exist, they are trying to scare you into spending money with them.
just been down and looked at next door its the same as mine and its owned by the local authority,,, will find out soon when the property is down as not being electrically up to standard,, how could i challenge this as it was the local authority own electrician who checked it
Ask them to quote which specific regulation number(s) your installation does not comply with, and then ask for a copy of the legislation which says you must bring your installation up to current standards when no other work is being carried out.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good idea to have the CU upgraded, and the installation should be safer as a result, but there is absoloutly nothing forcing you to do so.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good idea to have the CU upgraded, and the installation should be safer as a result, but there is absoloutly nothing forcing you to do so.
oooh, a free check, with an expensive fix at the end and an electrician who is talking rubbish, although if you have a consumer unit with re-wirable fuses it is advisable to have it updated, just not for the 'requirments' he has mentioned.
It works the other way too.
BG offered us a free electrical inspection of our house, so for a laugh I said go for it.
He came back and said "yep it's all fine is that".
I had at the time no MEBs, and half the house was wired in rotting rubber cable
BG offered us a free electrical inspection of our house, so for a laugh I said go for it.
He came back and said "yep it's all fine is that".
I had at the time no MEBs, and half the house was wired in rotting rubber cable
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